10 for 21

10 Rides for '21

It’s a great big country we live in, with countless outstanding rides to challenge your skills and elevate your experience. Picking just 10 of the best is a tall order, but every year Harley-Davidson will do just that, giving you 10 great opportunities to expand your riding horizons. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your next unforgettable experience now. To participate reference the rules for the rides.

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 1

White Sands National Park | Alamogordo, New Mexico | 159 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

Shimmering, shape-shifting sand dunes are the signature feature of White Sands National Park. Located in the heart of southern New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin, its wind-blown 275 square miles comprise the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. White Sands, formerly a national monument, became America’s newest national park in 2019. Begin your journey in the other-worldly city of Roswell, site of an alleged UFO crash in 1947. Visit its UFO Museum or countless souvenir shops hawking little green men memorabilia. Continuing through Lincoln, NM, you’ll pass the courthouse where Billy the Kid made his final escape in 1881 before being pursued and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett. Later, in Cloudcroft, be sure to see the historic wooden railroad trestle over Mexican Canyon, a remnant of the railroad that brought visitors and workers to the mountain community between 1899 and 1947.

Check-In Location: Sign at Visitor Center: “White Sands National Monument Visitor Center” sign in front of the historic red adobe visitor center building at the park entrance.

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 2

Gateway Arch | St. Louis, Missouri | 571 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

Soaring 630 feet into the sky and clad in over 43,000 tons of stainless steel, St. Louis’ Gateway Arch is both the world’s tallest man-made arch and the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. Constructed between 1963 and 1965, the iconic structure commemorates America’s nineteenth-century westward expansion. Situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River, its 91-acre site in downtown St. Louis was designated America’s 60th national park in 2018. Our recommended route takes you along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway in Illinois. While the entire byway traces the path of the mighty Mississippi River for 3,000 miles through 10 Midwestern states, the Illinois section stretches just under 600 miles and provides a taste of the region’s rich history, scenery, and culture.

Check-In Location: Your photo can be taken from anywhere in the area, but must include the iconic arch. If you’d like to avoid downtown St. Louis, you’ll find an excellent view of the arch from across the river, along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway in Illinois.

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 3

Mount St. Helens | Southwestern Washington State | 242 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

On the morning of May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens violently erupted after a magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered a massive landslide. Ash and soot shot miles into the atmosphere, and the force of the explosion devastated a 230-square-mile area, destroying homes and highways and killing 57 people. The eruption tore 1,300 feet off the top of the volcano, and the resulting ash cloud completely darkened the skies of Spokane, Washington, 250 miles away. Located in the Cascade Range in southwestern Washington, the site was designated a National Volcanic Monument in 1982, and you’ll find an excellent visitor center operated by the state parks department at 3029 Spirit Lake Highway, Castle Rock WA (admission fee applies).

Check-In Location: Mount St. Helens from McClellan Overlook: Located off Curly Creek Road, the overlook offers a stunning view of the volcano.

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 4

Garden of the Gods | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 37 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

Garden of the Gods is likely one of the most spectacular city parks in the country. Towering, 300-foot red rock sandstone formations dot its 1,367 acres and frame snow-capped Pikes Peak in the distance. The park was donated to the city in 1909 under the condition that it forever remain free to the public. In 1971, the park was designated a National Natural Landmark. For a thrilling ride after the park, head over to 14,115-ft. Pikes Peak. The 19-mile highway to the summit is paved and offers breathtaking scenery from its multiple overlooks (Pikes Peak Highway entry fee applies).

Check-In Location: Sign at park entrance: “Garden of the Gods” sign carved into rocks, across the street from the Visitor Center (at intersection of Gateway Rd. and N. 30th St.)

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 5

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument | St. Augustine, Florida | 87 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

Built to defend Spain’s claims in the New World, the 17th-century Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States and the oldest structure in St. Augustine. Constructed of coquina – a type of shell-stone – the walls of the fortress proved impenetrable to enemy attack, and the Castillo was never taken by force. Start your scenic ride along the coastline on State Road A1A near New Smyrna Beach. Take in the historic Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, the Ormond Scenic Loop, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse on your trip to the Castillo.

Check-In Location: Sign: “Castillo de San Marcos National Monument” located at the parking lot entrance.

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 6

Mackinac Bridge | Mackinaw City, Michigan | 635 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

Connecting Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, the Mackinac Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere, and the fifth-longest in the world. This Michigan landmark, proudly known as the “Mighty Mac,” spans nearly five miles, including its approaches, and opened to traffic in 1957. Our suggested ride starts at the world-class Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and takes you north through Door County (and Wisconsin’s check-in location for 50 States, One Nation), and around Lake Michigan’s Upper Peninsula before crossing Mackinac Bridge over the Straits of Mackinac.

Check-In Location: Mackinac Bridge from Old Mackinac Lighthouse grounds: the historic lighthouse sits at the northern tip of Mackinaw City and is a perfect location to photograph the bridge (your photo does not necessarily have to include the lighthouse).

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 7

Niagara Falls | Niagara Falls, New York | 509 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

The thunderous roar of Niagara Falls greets you before it even comes into view. It’s the sound of 700,000 gallons of water per second cascading over the brink of the three waterfalls (the American, Bridal Veil, and Horseshoe Falls) that comprise Niagara Falls, along the U.S./ Canada border – enough water to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool every second! Our suggested route takes you along Great Lakes Seaway Trail National Scenic Byway, which shadows the path of the St. Lawrence Seaway and follows the shoreline of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Check-In Location: Niagara Falls: Your photo should include Niagara Falls, taken from the American side. Some of the best viewpoints are found in Niagara Falls State Park (park admission is free, but parking fee applies), which is the oldest state park in America, established in 1885. Visitor Center address: 332 Prospect St. Niagara Falls, NY 14303.

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 8

The Alamo | San Antonio, Texas | 300 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

Texans, as a whole, are fiercely proud of their heritage; perhaps that is nowhere more evident than in their reverence for the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo. Over a 13-day siege in 1836, defenders of the Texas Revolution – among them frontiersman Davy Crockett and Colonel Jim Bowie – held off a much larger contingent of soldiers from the Mexican Army. Most of the 200 Texans – hopelessly outmanned and outgunned – perished, and the battle cry “Remember the Alamo!” was born. The Alamo, constructed in 1744, was originally a chapel, part of the Spanish mission complex established on the site in 1718. It is now part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Check-In Location: Your photo should include the front of The Alamo.

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 9

Badwater Basin | Death Valley National | Park, California | 168 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

Desolate and hauntingly beautiful, Death Valley is a land of extremes. It’s where the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was measured (134° F on July 10, 1913), and where you’ll find the lowest point in North America – 282 feet below sea level, at Badwater Basin inside Death Valley National Park. It’s also the driest place on the continent, with average rainfall of around two inches per year. At 3.4 million acres, Death Valley is the largest national park outside Alaska, home to vast salt flats, undulating sand dunes, multi-hued mountains and canyons, and numerous cultural and historical sites. Traveling into Death Valley during summer months, with its daily triple-digit temperatures and unforgiving sun, is not to be taken lightly, and should only be undertaken by the most prepared riders – bring plenty of water, dress appropriately (consider wearing an evaporative cooling vest), and be sure your motorcycle is in top mechanical condition). Note: National park entry fee applies.

Check-In Location: Your photo should include the wooden marker sign along the boardwalk at Badwater Basin.

 

10 Rides for '21 | Ride 10

Devils Tower | National Monument | Devils Tower, Wyoming | 186 Miles | H-D.com/RidePlanner

The country’s first national monument – designated in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt – Devils Tower is an iconic 867-foot tall rock butte with a unique, column-like surface. The tower, referred to as Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge) by the Lakota, holds deep cultural and spiritual significance to many Northern Plains American Indian tribes. Located in the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming, the tower measures about 1,000 feet in diameter at its base and 275 feet at the top, making it a popular rock climbing destination. The park attracts some 500,000 visitors each year, of which approximately 5,000 are rock climbers.

Check-In Location: Devils Tower: your photo should include the “Devils Tower National Monument” sign located at the park entrance (if you choose to visit the national monument, park entry fee applies).